PREVIEW: Lions Continue 3-Game Road Trip In Montreal

ORLANDO, Fla. – After picking up a point at Atlanta United FC, Orlando City (8-8-6, 30 points) continues its three-game road trip in Canada when it faces the Montreal Impact (6-8-6, 24 points) on Saturday, Aug. 5 at Stade Saputo. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

The match will be locally televised on WRDQ TV27 and transmitted in English on Real Radio 104.1 FM and in Spanish on La Nueva 990 AM.

“For me it’s about performing the way we have been with a little bit of improvement in and around their goal and focus at the end of the game,”
Head Coach Jason Kreis said. “Really feel like the last two performances have been positive. We let ourselves down in the last moments of both games, so we are wanting a little more quality in the attacking third, of course we are still looking for more goals, but then we are looking for obviously when we get there, and have a lead in the end of the game tomorrow night, we need to really be focused so we don’t let anything slip.”

Orlando City is coming off a hard fought 1-1 draw against 2017 expansion side Atlanta United FC. In the 40th minute, Cyle Larin laid off a goal kick for Kaká, who sent an superb shot into the top corner from 30 yards. Atlanta equalized in second-half stoppage time with a Héctor Villalba goal in the 93rd minute.

Montreal is coming off two straight losses, falling 2-1 to FC Dallas on July 22 and 4-0 to the New York Red Bulls on July 29. Ignacio Piatti leads the Impact with eight goals while Blerim Dzemaili has four goals and four assists.

City hosted the Montreal Impact on June 17 and played to a thrilling 3-3 draw. Kaká picked up his second assist of the season on Matías Pérez García’s goal in the eighth minute and Carlos Rivas scored in the 23rd. The Impact equalized and took the lead with two goals in the span of two minutes but Jonathan Spector’s goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time salvaged a result.

MLS All-Stars Kaká and Dom Dwyer will rejoin City’s squad while Piatti will rejoin the Impact this weekend after facing Real Madrid at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Saturday’s game will feature Donny Toia’s first trip back to Montreal since joining the Lions during this year’s preseason. Toia, who earned Team of the Week honors for his defensive performance against Atlanta last weekend, made 49 overall MLS appearances with the Impact between the 2015 and 2016 campaign.

The match is part of a tripleheader Saturday for Orlando City SC. Orlando City B will face FC Cincinnati at 7 p.m. while Orlando Pride hosts the Chicago Red Stars at 7:30 p.m., marking the first of four consecutive triple-header Saturday’s for the Club.

The match will also be the first Orlando City match to use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). VAR will be used to review game-changing decisions – goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity.

The Lions will finish their three-game road trip on Saturday, Aug. 12 when they head to Red Bull Arena to face the New York Red Bulls. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Orlando City returns home on Saturday, Aug. 19 to face Columbus Crew SC. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Orlando City Stadium.